To please others? It's better to please yourself.

As soon as Shen's mother entered the house, she hadn't even had a chance to celebrate her daughter-in-law's admission to university.

The children were gathered in a circle, counting. "Five already! Mom, if you keep pushing, we can finish ten sets!"

Xu Jing'an gritted her teeth and insisted on doing two more push-ups, but she was too tired to continue and had to give up.

"Huff... huff..." He lay on the ground, panting heavily!

"What's going on?" Mother Shen was completely bewildered. Beads of sweat dripped incessantly from her daughter-in-law's face.

When she left, she was still a gentle and delicate young daughter-in-law. How come she's now developing into a heroine and a female warrior?

What's going on? Did they realize their youngest son is useless and unreliable?

Thinking about this, his pupils dilated!

"Grandma—, Grandma—" The three children rushed over like a swarm of bees, some hugging her legs, some hugging her waist, and some pulling her arms.

"You're finally back! I've missed you so much!"

"Grandma, I didn't eat the candy Mom gave me, I'm saving it for you~"

"grandmother,……"

Even though she was exhausted from the car ride, Shen's mother was all smiles now.

"Good~ good~ good, oh my dear grandson, all good, all good!" The three children touched each of them one by one!

"Alright, you can play by yourselves for a while. Grandma's tired, she should rest first!" Xu Jing'an quickly stopped the children, otherwise, if they continued this conversation, it would be dark by the time they finished.

"Mom, take a break and have some water. I'll cook you a bowl of noodles, it'll only take a few minutes. Eat and then lie down and get some sleep!" Xu Jing'an hurried to the kitchen to cook for Shen's mother.

Twenty minutes later, Shen's mother lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.

Xu Jing'an quickly cleared away the bowls and chopsticks on the table.

After Shen's mother returned, Xu Jing'an keenly noticed that her mother-in-law had more gray hairs on her head. Moreover, it was clear that she wasn't happy living with Shen Yue!

In the evening, the family enjoyed a lively reunion dinner together.

After a good night's rest, Shen's mother grabbed a handful of melon seeds and headed out the next day. It had been a long time since she'd gossiped or chatted with her best friend; she wanted to catch up on all the old conversations.

Otherwise, the girls would think she'd retired from the entertainment industry!

For three days straight, Mrs. Shen was so busy she didn't stop. Even drinking two kettles of water a day couldn't stop her lips from getting parched!

Seeing the flushed face on Shen's mother's face, her loud voice, and her brisk movements, the family finally felt relieved.

As soon as Xu Jing'an was admitted to university, the surrounding neighbors and the steel mill all knew about it.

Before the Lunar New Year, at the farewell party held by the entire factory for employees retiring this year, Xu Jing'an's name was surprisingly included.

Xu Jing'an stood amidst a group of older brothers and sisters, receiving applause from everyone. Her smile was almost too long to maintain.

She now admires the person who came up with such an idea. They are truly a rare talent!

At the meeting, the factory director also gave Xu Jing'an a water cup, a lunchbox, and an envelope. Unsurprisingly, it likely contained money and receipts.

The steel plant's leaders have always been very generous to the plant's employees.

"Comrade Xu Jing'an, congratulations on your university admission. You may not return to our factory after graduation, but you have brought honor to our workers! Wherever you go, you are contributing to the motherland. Keep striving forward!"

The factory manager said in a low voice, "While you're in college, our factory will still pay you your salary."

Upon hearing this, Xu Jing'an immediately thanked the factory director and other factory leaders. "Thank you for your support! Wherever I go, I'm still a member of our factory!"

Xu Jing'an dares to swear that this expression of gratitude is absolutely heartfelt and without a trace of falsehood!

This year, Mr. Shen drank a couple more cups of wine than usual during the Spring Festival! Xu Jing'an also made a special trip to Director Huang's house to offer New Year's greetings.

She knew without a doubt that the fact that she was receiving a salary while studying was related to Director Huang. If it weren't for Director Huang's intervention, would the factory leaders have even considered a college student like her who hadn't even graduated yet?

Peking University starts on February 22nd, so I have to buy a train ticket early to get there.

Xu Jing'an hid in her room, diligently flipping through the almanac. "The best days for travel recently are the 16th and the 18th. The 16th is a bit early, but we're not that far from Beijing!"

Shen He: "Have you checked the time yet?" His wife has been flipping through the pages for about half an hour.

Shen He originally planned to buy the tickets two days in advance, but who knew that his wife would want to check the old almanac before going out? These days, not many people of their generation do this; many older people are not so particular about it.

Xu Jing'an looked at it carefully for a while before saying, "Okay, we'll leave on the 18th. Remember to buy the tickets."

Large items of luggage that were inconvenient to carry were packed up in large and small bags and mailed from the post office.

The money and tickets were still sewn into the pocket of my underwear, just like before. Carrying a ticket and two yuan with me was enough.

On the evening of the 17th, fearing she wouldn't be able to get up the next morning, Shen's mother prepared food in advance: "Jing'an, here! I made meat sauce, steamed buns and dumplings. Eat them in the car. We're poor, but we're rich on the road. Also, pack some snacks and eggs." In no time, she had packed a large bag.

Xu Jing'an quickly stopped her, saying, "That's enough, Mom~ that's already quite a lot."

Shen's mother: "When can't we eat this at home?"

Xu Jing'an hurriedly said, "Mom, please give me more cornbread and mixed grain steamed buns. There are many people on the train; we can't all eat refined grains!"

Shen's mother understood immediately. There were many people and distractions on the train, and everyone around her was eating cornbread, so it wouldn't be appropriate for her to eat white flour buns alone.

Even if everyone knows that other people's things have nothing to do with them, can they still feel comfortable about it?

While it's true that one should "spare the resources at home and travel with a generous heart" when traveling, it's also important to "avoid drawing attention" and avoid getting into trouble.

Shen's mother turned and went to the kitchen, took out several cornbread buns, multigrain steamed buns and pickled vegetables, and added them to the bundle.

On the day they set off, the 18th, the two got up just as dawn broke.

Xu Jing'an put on a slightly worn green military uniform and liberation shoes, trying to blend in with the crowd.

He took out the snacks, dumplings, buns, and meat sauce that his mother had prepared from the bundle and put them into the luggage bag containing his clothes.

He put a cornbread, a multigrain steamed bun, and an egg into the green backpack he carried with him, and it was full in no time.

How long can I stay on the train? It only takes five or six days from Kunming to Beijing. Skipping a good meal won't kill me! It's cold now, so I can stay put. Besides, it's close to Beijing; it'll only take two days at most. The key is to avoid trouble!

Before leaving, I still stuffed the club into my bag and put the dagger back on my right hip, otherwise I felt like something was missing!

Seeing that his wife was all dressed and ready, Shen He got on his bicycle and rode off. He was afraid that if he left too late, the children would see him and start crying again.

Just before boarding the train, Shen He grabbed Xu Jing'an's hand.

He looked at his wife nervously: "Honey, let's make this clear first. You can't be unfaithful after you leave, and then you'll despise me and leave me!"

Xu Jing'an looked at her husband, who was no longer young: He was middle-aged, and although he still looked relatively thin and upright, she knew he had a bit of a belly. His hair was noticeably thinning, and his hairline had receded. The fine lines around his eyes were significantly more pronounced than usual due to his frequent late nights and overtime work.

But none of this changes the fact that this man loves her.

Shen He is a good husband and a good father! She personally selected him from among millions of people according to her own heart!

There is no one else in this world who can make her let her guard down and get so close to her heart!

Shen He stared intently at Xu Jing'an, waiting for her answer.

Xu Jing'an smiled gently, her eyes filled with a love that seemed within reach. "I can't forget my Officer Shen~"

Shen He immediately felt at ease, and all the unease he had felt in the past few days disappeared.